by T. S. Ryder
“A pleasure to meet you, Master Talon,” Matheus smiled, chuckling when Talon ignored him. “I was just going to ask you if you’d mind joining me for dinner tonight. It’s been over a week since you first arrived and I’ve only been able to speak to you in passing.”
Alice felt a smile form on her lips at the eager look on his face. The man who she had once thought was some sort of monster was starting to remind her more and more of a puppy. She didn’t hate him like she thought she should, despite everything that his kind had taken from her.
“I suppose that would be alright,” she said, trailing her fingers through her hair. Glancing over at Talon, she raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you coming?”
“Why would I join you on your date?” he asked, not even bothering to open his eyes. Rolling her eyes, she turned away from her cat and allowed Matheus to take her arm.
“You can speak to your cat?” Matheus questioned, smiling when she nodded.
“Of course, I can. I can never understand how others don’t understand him. He’s incredibly outspoken.” She laughed, leaning against Matheus’ side. When they got to the king’s private quarters, she raised an eyebrow at the lavish dinner that had been laid out for them. “I think you were expecting me to say yes,” she mumbled softly.
“Well, if you said no I would still have had a fantastic dinner for me to enjoy while I grieved over your rejection,” Matheus said, pulling out her chair before sitting himself. “I hope you don’t mind veal; the cook insisted on it.”
“Veal is fine,” she responded, letting the servant dish out her plate.
“Great, veal is one of my favorites,” Matheus smiled, dismissing the servant with a wave as soon as their plates were full. “How have you been enjoying your time in my manor?” he asked, eyeing Alice slowly.
Taking a moment to sample the food while she thought, Alice hummed softly as the veal all but melted on her tongue. That had been something that she had missed when she left court to go into retirement. The food had always been so good.
“I’ve been enjoying myself. My only complaint is that the girls seem to always come to me to deal with their problems,” she sighed, looking at him with an amused smile. “Luckily, the libraries and gardens are quite extensive and they never think to look for me there.” Matheus laughed at this, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
“I knew that you would enjoy it here, even if you have quite a little cult following you around,” he grinned between bites of potatoes, his eyes wandering over her form. “They all look up to you. After you defeated Veronica, who I admit has always been a bit of a pain, you gave them someone to look up to – a person who isn’t manipulative or controlling.”
“They are good girls,” Alice said. He was looking at her intently, making her heart flutter in her chest. Blushing slightly, she turned her attention back to her food quickly. “Though, I do wonder why you, of all people, are interested in someone like me.”
“Why?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and gently catching her free hand in his own. “You obviously can’t see yourself, because if you could, you would realize just how ridiculous you sound.” He laughed softly.
“How so? I’m hardly the most beautiful woman in your harem. I’m bookish, not beautiful. I always have been,” she huffed, though she didn’t pull away from his gentle touch.
“I would have to disagree with you.” Matheus shook his head, his icy thumb trailing over her knuckles slowly. “You are beautiful, one of the most beautiful women that I have ever seen, not to mention the fact that you are intelligent, strong, and powerful. A woman like Veronica would sit pretty on a throne but accomplish little in the way of bettering her country. Whereas you, I would gladly rule beside, knowing that my country would be taken care of.”
“Is that all? You believe that I would rule your country better? That is hardly a reason to wed,” she mumbled, her fingers small in Matheus’ strong hand.
“No, it’s not, but that’s not the only reason that I want to take you as my lifemate,” he said, trailing his thumb across her fingers slowly. “I know that you don’t feel anything because you aren’t a vampire, but vampires are given an innate ability at their birth to sense potential mates and determine whether or not they will be suitable as a life mate.” Alice nodded. She had heard about this before.
“So you’re saying that you naturally find me a suitable mate? How romantic,” she teased, looking up at Matheus and hating how her heart fluttered in her chest the moment that he met her gaze. “I’ve felt something strange too,” she admitted, hating the hurt look on his face. “I won’t say that I believe that we’re magically fated to be together, but I do believe that there is something between us.” She blushed when he lurched forward immediately and captured both of her hands in his own.
“See? Even you can feel it, and you aren’t a vampire!” He beamed, leaning in before she could protest. She gasped when she felt his lips press against her own.
The kiss was firm, his soft lips pressing against her own and gently coaxing them apart with the tip of his tongue. She could taste blood on his breath, something that would normally be disgusting, but she instead found absolutely intoxicating. She shouldn’t be so aroused by such a simple kiss, yet there she was pressing against the cool touch.
If they were supposed to be together, if the feelings she had been having towards the prince meant anything, the only way she was ever going to know was if she let him closer. It went against everything she had ever believed in, but even she couldn’t deny there was a certain amount of magic involved here. Maybe they were tied together by some sort of ancient magic, a type of magic more powerful than anything she had ever studied.
She wanted to learn more and the man currently pressing soft kisses up her neck was willing to teach her.
Letting Matheus pull her down into another slow kiss, Alice allowed herself to be sat into his warm lap. Tangling her fingers in his hair, her lips curled into an eager little grin.
“You’ve got me where you want me, now what are you going to do?” she asked, trailing her fingertips over his broad chest. Matheus chuckled at the challenge, his eyes sparkling with lust.
“Let me show you,” he whispered, moving to his feet with Alice in his arms. Alice shivered at the dominating sound of his voice, her slender fingers tangling into his shirt as they moved towards the bed.
Chapter Eight
Alice’s back hit the bed with enough force to send the air rushing from her lungs, and a pleased look formed on her features as Matheus pulled his shirt over his head, revealing an expanse of muscled, pale skin. Letting her gaze roam over his body, she felt it linger a few moments on a set of jagged scars that marred his chest. They were like cracks in the granite that he was carved from.
“You have scars,” she noted, reaching up to trail her fingertips over his skin, feeling each quiver of muscle under her touch. He was unlike anything she had ever seen.
“We aren’t as invincible as we like to tell people we are,” Matheus mumbled, crawling over her with a primal look of lust in his eyes. “My queen, my flower, might I make love to you?” he asked, his fingers wandering around to rest on the zipper of her dress. His eyes sought permission, something she never expected from a man with his power.
Her breath hitched at the feel of his mouth against her ear, and she let her fingers wander up to trail over his chest slowly. She mapped out every flaw, curve, and mark that made him look like the mortals his father had wanted to conquer.
Her mind was distracted quickly, though, when she felt Matheus’ hands wander upwards, resting lightly on the collar around her neck. It was the only thing keeping her from using her abilities. Before she could open her mouth to question his intentions, she heard the soft click of the mechanism releasing.
The collar fell away from her neck and landed on the sheets. She was free, the collar quickly cast aside by her lover and landing on the ground beside them. If she wanted, she could kill the man
in front of her and be gone in a matter of moments. She could go home.
She could, but she didn’t want to. There was something stopping her from moving away, something telling her that, despite everything, she belonged right here in Matheus’ arms.
“Don’t you know it’s dangerous to bed an enchantress?” she asked, looking up at the man through her soft lashes. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal your soul? Take you down to the depths of the underworld with me?” Matheus’ eyes lit up, his free hand moving up to cup her blushing cheek.
“Not unless you’re afraid I’ll do the same,” he chuckled, pressing their lips lightly together. Satisfied with his answer, Alice pulled back and nodded.
“Then my body is yours, my king,” she breathed, sitting up and feeling a shiver move through her body as her zipper rolled down her back slowly.
Sliding down her shoulder straps, Matheus’ eyes wandered over her body. He was studying her as well, mapping out every inch of her body. To him, she was a puzzle that he needed to put together. To her, he was a book that she needed to study in order to discover what hid between his many pages.
Pale, soft hands wandered across her stomach the moment that he cast aside her dress, his cool thumbs brushing over the perked buds on her ample chest, the full mounds freed from their cloth prison. Trembling at the soft touches, Alice bit her lip and laid back to let him crawl closer, her own fingers trailing over his muscled arms.
“You’re beautiful,” she mumbled, leaning in and pressing hesitant kisses over his shoulders and neck. The action seemed to coax Matheus out of his trance. His eyes lighting up with adoration, he lurched forward and pinned her to the bed, pressing heated, open-mouthed kisses up her neck and shoulders.
“Not as beautiful as you, my queen,” Matheus growled, his tongue trailing over her shoulder. He left a mark on her skin with a wet sound, his hands exploring her beautiful body eagerly.
His hands wandered over every inch of skin he could find, moving lower and lower until the tips dusted over the edge of the lacy panties she had been given by the harem servants. The black lace clung to her freckled skin lightly, hugging her soft curves and leaving Matheus absolutely entranced.
“May I?” Matheus moaned in her ear, peeling down the undergarments and tossing them aside with a flick of his wrist at her nod. Leaning down before she could open her mouth, he let his fangs slide across her pale thighs, leaving Alice gasping in surprise and desire.
Alice’s eyes fluttered with lust when his fingers brushed slowly over her core, rubbing lightly. Arching her hips upwards towards his soft touch, she moaned, pressing her face to his shoulder and groaning as his thumb brushed lightly over her clit, leaving her body shaking.
Green eyes flashed crimson for a moment as Matheus took in her pleasured form. His icy thumb sent bolts of electricity through her with each flick and touch. Her mouth falling open in a gasp, Alice threw back her head and let her hands tangle into his shaggy blonde hair, her hips rolling upwards to coax his hips downwards.
Eager to obey her body’s orders, Matheus let his hips grind forward. The cloth of his breeches left her squirming at their roughness. In comparison to his soft, icy skin, the rough fabric sent new jolts of pleasure shooting through her body in waves. Her toes curling lightly at the sensation, Alice threw back her head with a delighted noise.
“I want you now,” she gasped, her eyes lighting up with desire when she saw the desperate look in her lover’s eyes. “Matheus,” she breathed out, his name tasting sweet on her tongue.
“As you command, my beloved,” Matheus gasped, his hands shaking as he eagerly slid down his pants and allowed his throbbing arousal to curve slowly against his stomach.
Alice licked her lips and allowed her calloused hands to wander over his soft skin. He was a soldier, a man who had fought for years, and yet his skin was softer than someone who had never known a day of hard work in his life.
“Your skin is so soft,” she mused, squeaking as he flipped her back and placed her legs on his shoulders. She opened her mouth to protest but was immediately silenced by a rough, dominating kiss.
“Perks of being one of the damned,” he mumbled, lifting her calloused fingertips to his lips and kissing her palm gently. Feeling her heart flutter at the gentle touch, Alice smiled and leaned up to slide their lips together.
Matheus took this simple act as an invitation to continue, sliding his throbbing length into her slowly. Trembling with pleasure as he filled her, Alice moaned and bit down on his shoulder to keep from crying out.
Nipping at her shoulder lightly, Matheus let his teeth sink into her throat, not drinking, but merely marking. The sensation left Alice squirming under him, her entire body quivering as he kept her powerless below him, and then his hips snapped forward into her. She couldn’t do much more than cling on, the man above her sending pleasure spiraling through her body with every touch and kiss.
“Matheus!” Alice cried, feeling her vision blur, an orgasm tearing through her body violently. Her hair falling onto her face as her breath caught, she bit down on his neck to keep from screaming.
His thrusts didn’t stop. Instead, he pounded into her even faster, leaving her unable to find words while her nails raked over his back and shoulders. Pressing her face to the crook of his neck, she groaned, loving how his fingers slid up to play with her chest.
“Mine,” Matheus groaned, hands sliding away from her breasts to grasp at her hips as he plunged deeper into her quivering opening. Biting marks over her skin, he claimed her as his own.
More than ever before, Alice felt herself accepting the domination. She was his. He was hers. They belonged to each other. No matter what that entailed, she was happy just to be with her darling king.
Her second orgasm ripped through her in a rush of pleasure so intense it whited out her vision.
Screaming with delight, Alice let her head roll back as Matheus plunged into her once more and orgasmed with a powerful shiver. His fangs sank into her shoulder as he groaned and Alice let out a strangled noise while her mind fought to regain control of her body. A fog had settled over her, leaving her entire body pleasantly numb.
“Are you alright?” Matheus’ voice cut through her post-orgasmic bliss, dragging her back to reality.
Pressing a lingering kiss to her lips, Matheus smiled when she let out a tired, affirmative noise. Chuckling softly, he trailed his fingers through her tousled mess of hair. Too tired to do much more than wrap her arms around him and let her legs slide off of his shoulders, Alice let out a happy noise when he kissed the top of her head.
“Get some rest, my queen,” Matheus said, pressing kisses over her pale skin. Nodding in exhaustion, Alice pressed her face to his shoulder. She had never felt like this before, warm and loved, cradled in the arms of someone who cared deeply about her.
Chapter Nine
As the days went by, Alice allowed herself to fall for the vampire king. Unfortunately, falling for the king meant that she also had to start getting involved with the daily politics and events, such as lords who came to visit her lover. He had taken her as his mate and that meant that, officially, she was the standing queen. She was the first vampire queen who wasn’t actually a vampire herself.
Things only became more complicated when, after they had spent two months together as a couple, Alice began to notice something different about herself.
Her breasts had begun to feel tender to the touch and her moods switched at random with little to no reasoning. After the second month, it became apparent to her that her missed menstrual cycle might not have been a coincidence. As if simply being queen hadn’t been trouble enough, she was pregnant.
Matheus was thrilled when she told him, but didn’t seem to share her concerns about the child causing an uproar.
“They don’t like me. They aren’t going to be happy that I’m having your child,” she attempted to explain, standing in front of the mirror while Matheus helped her zip up her dress.
It was too snug. She was going to have to ask for new clothing any day now. “We should probably try to keep it a secret as long as we can, just for the safety of the child.”
“Keeping the baby a secret is just going to cause more problems in the long run,” Matheus mumbled, his hands trailing over Alice’s hips. “The only way that they are ever going to be able to accept change is if we ease them into it. Producing a child out of the blue will just shock them, and that’s when I would be concerned about potential revolts.”
“I suppose you know your kind better than I do,” Alice said, turning around and kissing Matheus. “I’ll trust your decision, love. Just be careful, alright? The last thing that I want to have to do is put down a rebellion in order to save you, though I doubt that anyone would dare cross your mother in such a way.” She grinned, earning a fond smile from the king.
It was true. No matter how many people disliked the new king and his radical changes, his mother was a woman nobody wanted to cross. She had been in the manor for nearly 400 years and she knew better than anyone else how to manipulate the government to her will. People who crossed her wound up dead, without fail. The former queen ruled with an iron fist even when she was not directly in power.
“I’ve got a few meetings today. Will you be alright on your own?” Matheus asked, drawing Alice out of her thoughts.
“I’ll just disappear into the libraries like I always do. Ever since you took me as a mate, the harem has been in a state of panic. They believe you’re going to banish them or something,” Alice said, running her fingers through her hair and smiling when Talon trotted up to her and leaped up onto her shoulder, purring lowly.
“That’s ridiculous, I would never do that.” Matheus frowned. “They’ll just switch over from my servants to yours. That is what every king before me has done once they found a suitable mate.” Alice looked a bit startled at this but nodded slowly.
Having that many servants was hardly necessary, but if the women wanted to stay, she supposed she could find work for them all to do. Perhaps she could even start up her own school to teach the girls something about witchcraft if they were interested.